Loader conveyer



W. H. LEWIS LOADER CONVEYER March 27, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1945 LOADER CONVEYER Filed April 18, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Znwentor March 27, 1951 w, Ew s 2,546,512

LOADER CONVEYER Filed April 18, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet s March 27, 1951 w. H. LEWIS- LOADER CONVEYER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 18, 1945 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1951 William Hurst Lewis, Altadena, Calif.,- assignor to Standard Steel Corporation, -Los Angeles, g

Calif a corporation of California Application April is, 194$,Serial No. sa049f My invention relates to a loader. One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a structure which is particularly adapted for conveying relatively larger quantities of such materials as sand, aggregates, rock, or the like, at relatively steep inclines, thus, particularly adapting the structure to a loader for transferring such materials.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a structure of this class having a conveyor whereby objects of various and large size may be effectively transported, and which will prising a belt conveyor, having a relatively steep inclined stretch and also stretches of less or other inclination, and a flight conveyor in association with the relatively steep inclined portion or stretch of the belt conveyor, thereby both simplifying the conveyor construction and providing an effective and efficient loader, particularly for loading trucks, and the like, from the ground.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinaftenl have devised a novel loader and conveyor construction as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in 2.1.Fig. .2 isa fragmentary elevation end thereof, taken at 2-2 of Fig. 1;-

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation thereof taken of the front through 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the loader shown in Fig. 1;

, .Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of slightly modified form of construction of the .front'or feed end of the conveyors;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a slightly modified form of the flights of the upper or. flight conveyor; 7

Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional view taken I through 1! of Fig. 4 showing the relation b5 tween both conveyors;

4. Claims. (01. i1'98 164) the appended claims,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

*.;..Fig.' 1 is a fragmentary plan view of-a loader 4o --incorporating my invention;

.The upper run 4 of the belt a' moving bottom of a material directing trough Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through 88 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of my loader in a modified form of construction; and,

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of the loader shown in Fig. 9.

The loader shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 9 is car,- ried on a frame I having supporting wheels 2 preferably at one end only, that is, at the rear end. The forward end is designed to be supported and guided by a tractor vehicle (not shown), or other suitable means, the frame I having a. draw bar or means l to be connected to the tractor hitch of the tractor.

0n and within the frame I is floatingly positioned a, conveyor carrying frame 3 which is shaped substantially as a right triangle, the lower portion of the rearend 3* being mounted on the axle l of the frame 1 thisrear end extending vertically and high above the base 3 and the forward end 3 being low and extending substantially to the ground. On the inclined or hypothenuse side 3 of the frame 3 is arranged the conveying means-consisting of the conveyors '4 and 5.

The conveyor 4 is a continuous wide belt having transverse straps 6 at its .under or inner. side,

the ends of which straps are carried by continuous laterally spaced apa'rtchains I which extendover pairs of spaced sprockets 8 and 3, located, respectively, at the upper and lower-ends of the inclined portion 3 of the frame.. The upper runs of: the chains are carried on tracks [0 mounted on structural channels H on the. in clined portion 3 of the frame 3.

On the shaft, carrying the upper sprockets},

is a driven sprocket l2 whichi's' driven by a chain 13 from a drive sprocket I4 on the transmission mechanism 15 of the motor l6 mountedonthe f he ame .3. conveyor 4 fOIIllS A along the inclined portion 3 of theirame 3. The sides of the trough are provided by plates I! which are carried by the frame 3 and diverge upwardly from the opposite edges of the upper run support the flight plates on rods 2| positioned at the inner edges of the flight plates. These rods 2,546,512 4i I I extend transversely of the conveyor and are secured at their ends to brackets 22 carried at the inner sides of a pair of laterally spaced continuous chains 23. The lower and upper runs of these chains are carried on tracks 24 on the opposite sides of upper inclined portion 3 of the frame 3. The lower runs of the chains 23 are held against the tracks 24 by guide plates 25.

The brackets 22 have extensions 22 which extend outwardly from the chains in front of the flight plates and yieldable hold the same at right angles to the chains. Thru the extensions and flight plates extend tension members or bolts 26. Each bolt carries a compression spring 21 between the back side of the plate and a nut 25? V at the inner end of the bolt. Thus, as the lower run of the conveyor moves upwardly with the upper run 4 of the belt conveyor, and too large or heavy an object, such as a rock, lodges in front of the flight plate, it may yield sufiiciently 'to reject or pass such object.

The free edges of the flight plates 5 of the lower run of the conveyor :5 move contiguous to and. "substantially with the upper run 4 of the belt conveyor, and the lateral edges of the flight plates 5 are positioned contiguous to the side wall plates [1.

. The chains 23 are carried at the upper and lower ends on sprockets 28 and 29, mounted on of the frame 3 for adjusting the conveyors 4 and 5, such as the slides 4| and 42 which carry .the sprockets 9 and 29, there being shown screws 43 and 44 to facilitate such adjustment.

At the lower end of the frame 3 is provided an angular plate 5| for directing the materials to be transferred by the loader onto the front end of the. belt conveyor 4. At each end of the plate 5i are provided plates 52 which diverge forwardly to facilitate the direction of material to the belt conveyor 4.

The forward end of the frame3, and therefore of the plate 5!, may be raised or lowered as de- "sired further to facilitate the movement of the.

materials onto the conveyor 4, such as by means of the hydraulic lift 36.

In the modified structure, shown in Fig. .5, the lower forward ends of the chains 23 of the flight conveyor 5 extend over pairs of sprockets 6| and 62., was to provide an additional short run 5 which is directed slightly downwardly, in order to force the material to be loaded up the plate 7 5| onto the belt conveyor 4.

In the modified structure shown in Fig. 6 the fli ht/plates, designated H, are slightly cupped.

to facilitate conveyance of the material carried on the belt conveyor 4.

..'Inthe modified structure shown in Figs. :9 andlO, the loader has an overhead extension for extending the discharge end for more effectively loading a truck, designated B. Such extension is provided on an overhanging arm or cantilever beam 8| at the upper end of a rightangle-shaped conveyor supporting frame, desig ,nated 82. The upper run of-the belt conveyonin this instance and designated 83, has a relatively steep inclined stretch 83 and a less inclined or substantially flat stretch 83* extending beyond the upper end of the steep or more greatly inclined stretch 83 The stretch 83 is carried on the overhanging arm 8 l. The flight conveyor 84 is positioned only. above the steep inclined stretch 83 of the upper run.

Between the ends of the belt conveyor 83 are idlers 85 and 86 for changing directions between the more greatly inclined stretch 83 and the upper less inclined stretch 83 In this instance the upper end of the flight conveyor has a sprocket 81 which is driven directly by a chain 88 from the motor l6 similarly mounted on the frame 82. Through gears 89 and so, the sprocket 8'! drives a sprocket 9| which drives, through a chain 92, a sprocket 93, at the extended end of the overhanging arm 8|. This sprocket 93 is coaxial with sprockets 94 around which extend the chains carrying the belt conveyor 83.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, and certain modifications thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the same. but desire to include in the scope of my invention, the construction, combination, and arrangement, substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described. a conveyor comprising a pair of spaced chains, flights pivotally carried at their opposite ends by the chains and extending outwardly therefrom. brackets also carried by the chains in association with and in front of each of the flights, bolts extending from the brackets, thru and behind the flights, and compression springs between the back sides of the flights and the latter ends of the bolts.

2. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor comprising a pair of spaced chains, a plurality of rods positioned transversely of the conveyor and connected at their ends to the chains, brackets carried by the chains at the ends of the rods, flights pivotally mounted on the rods behind the brackets, bolts extending from the brackets, thru and behind the flights, and com,- pression springs between the backsides of the flights and the latter ends of the bolts.

3. In a loader of the class described, a frame, a belt conveyor mounted thereon, a flight conveyor mounted above the belt conveyor with the flights of the lower run extending toward and positioned contiguous to the upper run of the belt conveyor, the frame having a trough, the side walls of which extend upwardly from the upper run of the belt conveyor, the lateral ends of the flights terminating adjacent said side walls, the bottom of the trough bein formed by the upper run of the latter, and means comprising yieldable portions on the lower ed es of the side walls, engaging the lateral portions of the upper run of the belt conveyor, substantially sealing the side walls with the upper run of the conveyor belt. but only to the extent of allowing the belt conveyor to operate. I

4. In a loader of the vclass described, a frame, a belt conveyor mounted thereon, a flight-conveyor mounted above the belt conveyor with the flights of the lower run extending toward'and positioned contiguous to the upper run of the belt conveyor, the frame having a trough, the side walls of which diverge upwardly from the edges of the upper run of the belt conveyor, the lateral ends of the flights terminating adjacent said-side 5 walls, the bottom of the trough being formed by the upper run of the latter, and means comprising yieldable portions on the lower edges of the side walls, engaging the lateral portions of the upper run of the belt conveyor, substantially sealing the side walls with the upper run of the conveyor belt, but only to the extent of allowing the belt conveyor to operate.

WILLIAM HURS'T LEWIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Michener Dec. 13, 1910 Willits Aug. 19, 1913 Honohan May 1, 1917 Levin Nov. 9, 1920 Sargent Dec. 27, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain July 13, 1933 

